Team Paphos are a group of 11 friends and family, who are coming together to take on the Logicom Cyprus Marathon in Paphos, Cyprus. The team are raising funds for 2 amazing charities: The Brain Tumour Charity, and Motor Neurone Disease Association.

The team are running as a tribute to Matthew R's Mum, and in loving memory of his Dad. Team Paphos are participating in the Logicom Marathon alongside Matt, who will be taking on his 5th marathon out of 12.

A massive thank you to all 22 people running with Matt in March, including:

Paul | Sarah R. | Russ | Rosie | Karl | Claire | Mike | Jon | Will | Lauren | Sophie

Matt's Story:

Hi all, and thank you for taking the time to visit my page. I’m proud to be raising funds for The Brain Tumour Charity and Motor Neurone Disease Association, by taking on a massive challenge for my parents.

In 2012, I married my amazing wife and we had the best day of our lives. Not only did I marry the love of my life, but we were also surrounded by friends and family during an intimate ceremony in Cyprus. Before the big day, I did not hesitate to ask my Dad if he would be my best man. My Dad has always been my best mate. He was everything to me, and we had more than a typical father/son relationship.

6 years after the wedding, I had the worst day of my life. I got a call from my Mum to say Dad was in the hospital. “He has a brain tumour”. I still remember it like it was yesterday – life was collapsing around me. We went to see a consultant together, who advised it was good news: “It’s only a meningioma, and people don’t die from them”.

2 years later Dad passed away, and our family fell apart. My amazing Mum never left his side, and in his final weeks we brought him home and cared for him. We spent his last day together, listening to Bruce Springsteen and watching Aguero score his famous 9320 goal.

I have done a lot of research into brain tumours, and simply put, there is nowhere near enough funding. Dad was only 67 years old and was told he would not die. The reality is nobody really knows, as there is too little research – the amazing doctors do their best with the little knowledge they have.

Just 6 months after Dad’s death, we received more shocking news. Mum had been struggling with her legs and back, but we put this down to stress and the amount of time she spent caring for Dad. Absolutely nothing could prepare us for what we were told – Mum was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.

This disease has no cure and most people die within 12 months. There aren’t many treatments available either. Mum has had the disease for a few years now, can no longer walk, and has very little arm movement. She has become a passionate campaigner for better funding, but as with my Dad, there is nothing I can do to help her or make it better. My Mum is my inspiration and has stayed strong and tackled the last 10 years head on. The entire family is so proud of her.

I am not afraid to say that I have battled with my mental health for years now. I thought my parents would live forever, but instead we have been met with two of the most cruel illnesses possible, and I have felt helpless. The only thing I can do is try to contribute in some way to support charities associated to these diseases, for my Mum, and as a tribute to my Dad.

I am conscious that times are hard for everyone, and there are a lot of amazing charities needing your support. I’ve therefore decided to take on a massive challenge: 12 marathons in 12 months. This will start October 2024 and continue until September 2025.

I have a team that’s helped me create a training plan and diet plan (those of you that know me know I am built for lifting weights, not running marathons!). Over the next 18 months, including training, I will be running over 4000 miles. This is a crazy, personal challenge, but one that I will overcome for Mum and Dad, in the hope that one day people won’t have to deal with these horrendous diseases.

Thank you so much for reading this. Your support is massively appreciated, and will make a real difference to the lives of those affected by brain tumours and MND!

~ Matt